It's time. I have been a writer for over ten years, and I have learned and honed my craft over that period to be able to write quickly, with the passion and feeling that I want to express in my books. I also have provided what my readers would like. It may not be necessarily what they all buy, but the work I've done is good. It respects whatever reader would pick up my books.
I've been surprised over the years, what sells or gets read, and what doesn't. I was sure my Outer Banks travel book would be a sidebar to the more popular books that cover all of North Carolina, but that's not the case. While both sell well, my book Did You See That? On The Outer Banks outsells its counterpart by a decent margin. And I think I expected a slightly higher demand for my fiction books, as they both are fun, exciting reads. But fiction is a tough genre to crack, with all the competition. It's one of those things, where I have to decide if I want to spend the time doing follow up books to create a series, so readers will know that they can continue the story once they are invested. Or do I go back to the tried and true (funny, that I typed tried as tired before correcting it), where people get maybe more of the same, but that's what's selling.
Well, as I like to say, I guy's gotta eat. Or in my case, I always say, I pay off the college fund and house for my family. So, new book it is. Or, not so new.
My book Haunting The Outer Banks has been a very reliable book for me. People like that. So, I'm gathering a new, old set of ghost stories from my home, my favorite place, and I will be writing it, pretty much starting now. Hopefully done for Spring, as those stories are so built into my mind that they write in my head faster than I can type.
But, still, I think I need to do the other work. I've written manuscripts while writing a book, most authors do that all the time, but I usually like to focus on one work to get it finished. I've never done multiple books at once. I think this will be an interesting challenge. So, for those of you who made it this far, I have a request. Check out my two fiction books, The Unmerciful Sea, and Bess Truly And Her Zap-Gun Rangers. Yes, two very different genres, very different stories. One is a scary thriller fit for adults, the other a fun tribute to old mystery and sci-fi for kids, teens, and anyone who grew up on Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. See what you think about them as you read. Certainly I would like to have more people read them and buy them, but there's a deeper reason from me as an author, and as a teacher. If you read, and you like the story, you will want more. I want people to discover that joy and desire to experience another setting, with people, characters, they just met but start to care about. There are more worlds on a shelf than there are even outside the window. I know I often promote the idea of getting out with my travel books, but there also is a need to get away. Even from within your back yard. Books can do that.